Trachoma

En français

Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of preventable blindness in the world. It is caused by a bacterium prevalent in poor communities with limited access to adequate sanitation and clean water. This painful infection of the eye leads to a build-up of scar tissue, which forces the eyelid to curl inward. With each blink, the eyelashes rake the cornea, a painful condition called trichiasis. Vision is diminished and - if left untreated - results in permanent blindness. The victim of trachoma eventually blinks herself blind.

Yet, the simple surgical procedure to correct trichiasis has a success rate of 80%, and can cost as little as $10 per person. For those in the early stages of trachoma, a course of tetracycline ointment or an oral dose of the medication Zithromax will stop the infection.

Endemic in 55 countries, with 75% of the afflicted in Africa, trachoma has left 8 million people irreversibly blind and another 84 million are in need of treatment. Women and children are most affected, and women are three times more likely to be blinded by trachoma than men.

Since trachoma is spread through a cycle of infection and re-infection, often from mother to child and back again, its long-term elimination as a public health threat is dependent on preventive measures. HKI implements the World Health Organization’s S.A.F.E. (Surgery - Antibiotics - Face cleanliness - Environment improvements) strategy through innovative community-based programs, such as enhanced school health, community education, and the training of health workers to perform trichiasis surgery.

These programs are linked through partnerships to environmental improvements like school water supply, community water pumps and latrine construction. HKI also strengthens and empowers struggling government health systems by training surgeons and nurses and by providing necessary antibiotic supplies and surgical materials.